A NEIGHBOURHOOD which was terrorised by youths for months has become peaceful almost overnight - after a joint initiative by the police and county council.

A NEIGHBOURHOOD which was terrorised by youths for months has become peaceful almost overnight - after a joint initiative by the police and county council.

Chevrons Road in Shotton was the scene of some shocking incidents with young people hurling stones at cars, lying in front of moving vehicles and abusing neighbours.

The gang even stripped and almost demolished a house on the street just weeks after the occupant died.

But a joint crackdown by Shotton community beat manager PC Hazel Goss and Flintshire County Council's housing department has cleared up the problem in just a month.

'It has been very successful,' said PC Goss. 'I have arrested 10 young people after receiving cast-iron evidence as to their identities and involvement in anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

'The problem on Chevrons Road centred around a small number of families and the people they inf luenced.

'These families were council tenants however and as such could be threatened with being evicted on the grounds of anti-social behaviour.

'I contacted the Housing Department and we began to work together to have a greater impact.'

As PC Goss arrested youths in connection with the problem, their families received letters from the council stating they could face eviction or anti-social behaviour orders.

'This is the successful local face of a county-wide scheme,' said a council spokesman. 'When community beat managers arrest youths for anti-social behaviour North Wales Police's Crime Management Unit in Wrexham sends them a letter.

'The council is notif ied and we also send out a letter. If the family are council tenants we remind them that we can and are prepared to repossess the house under the terms of their agreement.

'If they are not council tenants we remind them we can pursue an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) against them.

'It has been quite successful so far as the swift resolution of the Chevrons Road situation proves.'

Since the crackdown started there have been no incidents of vandalism or anti-social behaviour in Chevrons Road.